Week 5 - Person 4

Adam started off the week discussing how he felt like this weeks blog was one of the most important topics we have covered so far in the class and even described it as ' eye-opening'. He discusses how he agrees with the idea that some things going on in America should be made public to spread the awareness of potential dangers that face our society, but also there are some things that are better left a secret to protect our country and to make sure that people do not panic. Adam also stated that he believed the roles of civil power versus military power should stay the way that they are, because the balance is one of the many things that set the United States apart from other countries

Becca posted next, starting off by agreeing with the seriousness of the food poisoning that Adam mentioned in his post, and provided a link to the CBS news website which showed a video of the latest terrorist threat facing America. She went on to discuss the detainment of potential terrorist and stated that if they are held to long without any reason it could start up unnecessary controversy. She finished off her post by stating that people in the United States are to quick to label people who look different as terrorist. That people need to start being less judgemental and realize that America is many different groups of people living together as one.

Charissa posted third, commenting on how she agreed with parts of the video Becca had linked in her post. She talked mainly about agreeing with the idea of a significant amount of time for potential terrorist to be detained given that there can be proof of probable cause. She went on to post a link to a CNN.com website she found discussing how the United States is looking to have a man extradited for his role in planning a bombing that killed 5 U.S. soldiers. They believe that if the man is not detained that he poses a serious threat to the people in the United States and our soldiers in Iraq. She used the link as an example of probable cause to detain a terrorist.

T.J. posted next, talking about how he liked Adam's take on civil power vs. military power and agreeing with how the balance should remain the same. He expanded a bit on the issue of terrorist attacks against the food and water in the United States and how serious of a threat it really is. He mentioned that many people just assume that all terrorist attacks against the U.S. will be directly on humans through things like bombs, but it would be very possible for terrorist to poison the food and water we provide for our livestock which provides a direct link to the majority of food people consume today.

Jacob posted last, talking about how he felt that Nassir, a man mentioned in the Presidentals Power to Detain segment was held unfairly by the United States. He did not understand how a person could be detained for simply exchanging e-mails with a person who the United States had been keeping tabs on. He stated how he thought not being able to have a lawyer was extremely unfair especially since he was being detained previous to any questioning. Jacob provided a link to Wikipedia which provided the information on Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and used it as an example of how the United States detainees suspected terrorist, stating that the treatment of detainees there goes against the moral values believed to be held by the United States and it's something he still does not understand fully to this day.

PS 214 Sec G - Group 1: Week 5

This weeks blog is a point on civil liberties that is very intersting to me and a point that I have had strong feelings on. In the Presidentials Power to Detain segment, Nassir, a sixth-generation Labanesse American, is detained when he returns from vacation. He is detained on the sole purpose that he has been exchangeing emails with someone that the United States was had been watching. In the segment, it is discussed that Nassir could be detained for a period of time before he is even allowed a lawyer. How can this be right? How can someone be detained just for exchangeing emails with someone and not even be allowed a lawyer? I get the fact that he is not being arrested or thrown in jail, and if the United States are just questioning him to see if he poses as a threat then when they are done conducting the interview, let him go. I personally think that the United States should not be allowed to detain someone like this, especially if he is a U.S. Citizen.
I think that if you are held on the sole basis of suspicion then this is not civially right and the United States should not have that power. Some of these suspected terrorist are kept at a detaining facility called Guantanamo Bay. This is a facility that over the years has got lots of media attention. It is a very secret facility that holds suspected terrorist for questioning. This facility has been accused of treating the detainees with abuse and torture in order to attain information. I feel that this is another reason why the the U.S. shouldnt be allowed to hold someone for a stupid reason like Lassir had. Why would the U.S. go against it's own values and torture detainees? It's a question that i've always asked and still wonder to this day.

Week 5

I liked how Adam started off talking about two points that he really agreed with. I believe that “Civil Power vs. Military Power” was a very interesting discussion and he covered that extremely well, talking about there is a difference between what we do in America and what other countries do, stating that we should keep it that way—we are this way because of our foundation.

Rebecca expanded on the food poisoning possibilities, which I tend to find most interesting. I think that we, as a nation, are vulnerable to terrorist acts in so many ways, and this is a very scary (yet realistic) possibility. Imagine if our nation’s leading milk provider had a group of terrorists working in their plant, infusing toxins into our supply. On a daily basis, people are recommended to drink about two cups of milk, giving us the necessary nutrients. Children are supposed to drink more, helping them to develop and grow strong, healthy bones; if a high percentage of children came in contact with toxins from milk, what would happen to the future of America? These are some of the reasons why I think that we need to keep up on regulation of our major food suppliers, whether that is through testing products or other parameters. I think we tend to get caught up in thinking that terror is through attacks on humans (via bombings and physical combat), but what if a terrorist group started poisoning the food that is fed to our livestock? We do take in what they had consumed. So if the entire “California happy cow” population was fed poisonous food and water, we would end up with this in our systems; or if they all died because of this, our supply would be diminished and we would be looking for other sources to fill the voids.

I also liked where Becca and Charissa talked about the reasonable amount of time in detaining a person that is “of interest.” Charissa gave a great example of what the proper measures should be in order to do so, proving that Amendment Four is being used properly. In order to obtain a warrant, you must have sustainable evidence linking the person(s) and an event.

Week 5

After watching the video, I agreed highly with Derek Smith in the clip “Intelligence Gathering and Civil Liberties”. Derek Smith is the Chairman and CEO of ChoicePoint. He spoke about having “knowledge of probable cause” being used and that there should be court approval to detain terrorists. He states there needs to be a “correlation and connection to find out relationships and gather real knowledge” of terrorists and the threats of terrorists. He used the example of 9/11, saying that there were two people on the terrorist watch list and through gathering information these two people were connected to the nineteen terrorists that were involved in September 11. If there is probable cause and court approval is obtained I, like Becca, believe that people should be detained for a reasonable amount of time. Under no circumstances, should someone be detained without having reason to do so or for unreasonable amounts of time.

In an article I found on CNN.com, the U.S. is looking to have a man extradited, from Canada to the U.S., for his role in a bombing that killed five U.S. soldiers. The U.S. fears him to be an enemy of the state. They are pushing to have him held by Canadian authorities without being set free on bond. The U.S. has issued a warrant. This means that they had probable cause and the courts approval to have Faruq Khalil Muhammad tried in court for the crimes he is accused of. The U.S. has gathered enough evidence to determine that Muhammad, if not detained by Canadian authorities, could be a risk to Americans here on American soil or in Iraq, where U.S. soldiers are stationed. This is an example of the proper ways of using of probable cause and court approval to detain a person who is suspected of being a terrorist.

The first point Adam makes is about how there could potentially be a huge threat to our country with terrorists poisoning our foods. I agree that this is definitely something that we need to start preparing for now because if it does hit us, we will not be able to handle it if we don’t start preparing. In December, we did have a terrorist threat against our restaurants and hotels. The amount of poisoning that could be slipped into our food would be enough to kill us. This is very scary and I fear that it’s only going to get worse.
The next topic I would like to hit on would be that if we do have suspected terrorists in this country or informants that the military will take them into custody and detain them for as long as needed. This is a good thing because the more terrorists we can get off the street the better, but then we also have to look at how much time is reasonable to detain a suspect. As long as we have a reason to detain them I feel like we should be able to keep them under tight security. But, I also feel that once we no longer have a cause to hold them, we are holding them without reason and that could cause some controversy.
Lastly, I would just like to mention that just because someone is of a different descent, such as Lebanese, doesn’t mean that that person is a terrorist. Just because this person may or may not be emailing an Islamic cleric doesn’t make this person a terrorist. I feel that people are judged too quickly in this country just because they are not “white.” If we are born here, regardless of what religion, race, or origin, we are all United States citizens and should all be treated that way. It is wrong to be detained for simply coming back from vacation. This country needs to start treating its citizens like citizens.

Week 5- Person 5

This week 5 blog discussion is one of the most in depth and sort of eye opening topics that we’ve discussed so far in my opinion. The talks of terrorism and what acts we should take, and ones that we should avoid in times of high alert are rather interesting to look at and gather your own opinion about. All four segments had some really good discussion going on between analysts that were former government officials and well known high powered people.

The first point I agree with was in the second segment titled “Attacks on America.” The talk and information disclosed about poising our foods could be catastrophic is one of the truthful and scary things I agree could happen. We need to not count out this factor out and I feel that the public should be aware of this in order to properly prepare for this. At the same time I feel as if there needs to be a balance of secrecy as well so there is not to be a panic, or a case where information gets leaked out to terrorists or other countries that could potentially harm us as a country.

The next and last point I’ll discuss is in the third segment titled “Civil Power vs. Military Power.” This is I feel the most critical issue we have to deal with here in America to this day. America has always had the civil power take charge when it comes to issues such as dealing with internal affairs, but when the president comes in and military steps in should only still be under extreme circumstances. This power is normally used outside the country in places such as Afghanistan, and that’s where I believe it should stay unless it’s absolutely necessary here in the United States. We’ve proved civil power does indeed work well, and that’s the way it should stay until proven wrong. Keeping our civil liberties intact is of high importance to us as the people. Keeping the government and high powered people at a balance with our rights is something we need to keep the way it’s been here in America, because it’s our god given rights and written in the constitution to have our rights here in this country and not be turned into a dictatorship. So keeping things the way they are and have been is what I feel needs to happen, because that’s what separates the United States from every other country.

Week 4 - Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions

Stephen Dostie started the week by giving some background information on the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions. He talked about their intentions to re-read each paragraph and the need to revise the document, in order for women to hold equal rights in America. He discussed the process of the two-day event, and stated “The Seneca Falls Convention was one of the brave early steps that American women took for their equality as citizens.”

Adam Gilbert followed up Stephen’s post by talking about how women had not been seen as equals, up until the movement, having no voice/opinion. He also discussed the fact that they re-read the paragraphs of the Declaration of Sentiments, suggesting changed that would be adopted into the document. He added a link of Lucretia Mott, who was a women’s rights activist; she was vital in organizing the Seneca Falls Convention.

Rebecca Beaulieu then talked about how “Woman is man's equal…” was a quote that really stood out to her. The declaration was a very important piece of United States history, led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton (linked). Another great quote Rebecca talked about was, “The prolonged slavery of woman is the darkest page in human history.” She stated that this was a very powerful statement, and that Stanton was a powerful woman, fighting for what she believed in.

Jacob elaborated on the equality of man and woman, bringing religion (Adam and Eve) into the conversation. As he states, they were created at the same time, and Jacob believes that they should be treated equally—and the rest of us agreed. . He concluded his post by stating men and women should be equal and that this convention helped to get the women’s rights movement going.

Charissa Chacho was the final person in our group to post, summarizing what the rest of the group posted; she noted similar topics as those that I have discussed above.

Week 4

Stephen was the first to post. He starts by giving background on the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions. At the convention, the women were able to revise the Declaration of Sentiments to give women more rights. He concludes that this was one of the earliest steps that were taken in order for women in America to be seen as equals.

Adam’s important point was a quote. He states that the quote “shows the whole purpose of this convention’s goal of moving towards equal rights for women.” He speaks about this being a step forward, for women, towards the “right to life, liberty, and the upmost important right of all to have their pursuit to happiness.” Adam brings up the point that America used to be male dominated and that women were gaining some rights that were not given to them.

Becca chose an important woman that had a lot to do with women’s rights, Elizabeth Cady Stanton. She states that Stanton fought for what she believed to be right. She was among the women that helped to draft the Declaration of Sentiments. However, she did so without the support of her husband and close friend, Lucretia Mott. Stanton stood her ground and fought for the equality of women.

Jacob relates this article to Adam and Eve. He says that the Creator created one man and one woman. They were created at the same time. He believes that this is an important part to the article because if man and woman were created at the same time they should be treated equally. He concludes by saying that men and women should be equal and that this convention helped women’s rights.

Blog 4

July 19-20, 1848, a very important convention was held for womens rights. One of the rights that stood out the most to me was that women is man's equal--was intended to be so by the Creator, and the highest good of the race demands that she should be recognized as much. The reason why this kind of stood out to me from all the others is mostly because of adam and eve. This right is basically saying that the creater made one man and one women at the same time. This should mean that they are equal. Man was not create before women, they were created at the same time.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the first women to think of putting together a convention for womens rights when 8 years earlier, Elizabeth and other women delegates were barred from participating in the 1840 World Antislavery Convention. This convention was very important because it promoted women's rights.
Another part of the convention that stood out to me was where they talked about declaration of sentiments. It reads a very important part from the decleration of independance: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men AND women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. This is very important cause it says men AND women are created EQUAL. They should have both the same rights and I think this convention did a lot of good for womens rights.

Week 4 - Person 1

“Woman is man's equal…” is one of the phrases that really stands out to me in The Declaration of Sentiments. This declaration is a very important piece of this nation’s history because it started giving women the equal rights that they deserve. Of course as with any equality act, it is never resolved right away or at all, in some cases.
One woman that really made this movement happen, was Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The sole moment that got her convinced that women should hold a convention to better their rights, was when women delegates were not permitted into the Anti-Slavery Convention in London in 1840. After this, she moved to Seneca Falls where she, Lucretia Mott, and three other Quaker women met and called for the first women's rights convention.
This convention lasted for two days and six sessions and the women met and made some of their rights better. After this convention, Stanton met Susan B. Anthony and they then started a life-long cause in bettering women's rights.
One of her most famous quotes that fits this issue perfectly is as follows, "The prolonged slavery of woman is the darkest page in human history.” This is a very powerful statement that took a lot of courage to write and even say. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a very powerful woman who fought for what she believed in. In some of her arguments, when she was fighting for the rights of a married woman, she wasn't even supported by her husband and friend, Lucretia Mott. This just goes to show how tough this issue was. If she wasn't even getting support from her family and friends, this issue must have really been heated.

Week 4- Person 5

In July 1848, one of America’s most important conventions occurred that took the first big step towards giving women equal rights. To this point women have not had a voice with anything, and have in a sense been overlooked compared to the male dominance up to this point. They casted a vote and making a proposal asking that The Declaration of Sentiments be re-read by paragraph and then suggest that changes be made, and eventually were adopted into the document.

One of the great aspects resolved from having this convention in Seneca Falls, New York was summarized as follows: “That, being invested by the Creator with the same capabilities, and the same consciousness of responsibility for their exercise, it is demonstrably the right and duty of woman, equally with man, to promote every righteous cause, by every righteous means; and especially in regard to the great subjects of morals and religion, it is self-evidently her right to participate with her brother in teaching them, both in private and in public, by writing and by speaking, by any instrumentalities proper to be used, and in any assemblies proper to be held; and this being a self-evident truth, growing out of the divinely implanted principles of human nature, any custom or authority adverse to it, whether modern or wearing the hoary sanction of antiquity, is to be regarded as self-evident falsehood, and at war with the interests of mankind.”

The above quote shows the whole purpose of this conventions goal of moving towards equal rights for women. It’s a fight for women to be seen as equals with the men and their fight and inalienable right to life, liberty, and the upmost important right of all to have their pursuit of happiness. The whole history of America to this point has been about the dominance of male over the female and during the convention they pointed out a list of facts as an example of how they’ve been denied their right as not only a woman, but as a human being living in the United States.

Lucretia Mott finished out the convention with a quote that I think was very well spoken. She stated that, “That the speedy success of our cause depends upon the zealous and untiring efforts of both men and women, for the overthrow of the monopoly of the pulpit, and for the securing to woman an equal participation with men in the various trades, professions and commerce.” The resolution ended up being adopted and the women had finally taken their first step towards getting the rights they’ve been denied for so long.

Week 4 Blog

On July 19-20, 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York many women from New York were some of the first women in history to decide that they wanted equal rights, and equal treatment as the men in the society that they lived in. What resulted was the Seneca Falls Convention, In the convention the women proposed that the Declaration of Sentiments be re-read by paragraph, and provided a list of what they would like to see changed. The meeting lasted two days and six sessions which sparked many heated debates over women's rights, including women's right to vote in America. There were about 300 people who were in attendance for the six sessions and at the end of the two-day convention one-hundred of the people in attendance, which were mostly women, signed the revised Declaration of Sentiments which allowed many more rights to the women of that time period.

As many of us know now the struggle for women's rights and equality lasted way beyond the Seneca Falls Convention. For many people who follow and study the women's rights movement, the Declaration of Sentiments is seen as one of many historical documents included on the timeline of the women's rights struggle. The Seneca Falls Convention was one of the brave early steps that American women took for their equality as citizens.

Blog 3

In the blog this week, many points were brought up by Lyndon B Johnson. Throughout the speech, the main idea is equality with African Americans. Right in the title of the speech, "We Shall Overcome" you know that Lyndon is going to be discussing something that needs to be overcome. He stresses some key issues. In the Speech, he talks about how African Americans have slowly been fitting in more and more and getting their rights back. Lyndon B. Johnson brings throughout the speech is looking for one specific thing. He's protesting to get African Americans the right to vote. He mentions a few rights that we have written in the U.S. Constitution. "All men are created equal." "Government by consent of the government." "Give me liberty or give me death." He says these are not just words that stand for nothing. No African American should be denied his/her right to vote. He mentions on how he is going to put in a bill that gives all African Americans the right to vote. One of the important things about this though is that he says even after the bill passes, their will still be issues. Everything will not happen right off. It is an issue that will take time.

Week Three Summary

This week T.J. started off our blog posts. He started off by speaking about the right to vote and the right to protest. He also stated that he liked the manner in which President Johnson addressed the problem. “There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem.” This was the quote that T.J. pulled from the article. As an example, T.J. explained how people who go to city hall when they turn 18 would feel if he/she were told that he/she were unable to vote. He continues by talking about the march from Selma to Montgomery, where a minister was killed and several people were seriously hurt. This was due to “police and local officials deciding that they were above the law.” T.J. concludes by saying, “now, we can all vote as citizens of the United States; however, we are still fighting the civil rights battle today.”

The next person to post was Stephen. He starts by giving some background about the article. Stephen speaks about President Johnson and how he “showed unprecedented leadership qualities and spoke on what he believed was best for his country, and what he believed was best for the future.” He talked about the Voting Rights Act that President Johnson signed on August 6, 1965. This put a stop to allowing “the unfair tests of literacy…that stopped most of the African-American people from voting.” Stephen concluded that even though the Voting Rights Act was established, on August 11, 1965, the Watts Riots happened in Los Angeles. Provided, was a link to Wikipedia, were it tells that 34 people died, 1,032 people were injured, and 3,438 people were arrested.

Adam continues on about President Johnson. He speaks about the way President Johnson was a “man of true equality and stood behind civil equality one-hundred percent.” He believes that there is no divide between people based on gender or color; we are all one, Americans. Adam concludes by saying that one of the biggest points made by Johnson was that the United States “was the first nation in the history of the world to be founded with a purpose.” Adam posted a link to YouTube which shows a video of President Johnson’s speech on voting rights.

Becca stresses the point that everyone is an American. She speaks about the quote that all group members touched upon, “There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem.” She continues by speaking about the test that no one could pass for the right to vote. She believed this test was unnecessary. She concludes her post by speaking about the march from Selma to Montgomery.

Week 3 - Person 4

For this week’s post, there were many great points presented. There was a great discussion as to how ALL American’s regardless of who they are, should have equal rights. This issue is constantly coming up. Racism, today, isn’t so much an issue as sexuality, but it all ties into the same point, that we are all American’s. Almost everyone posted the following quote, “There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem…” This quote really drives this point home that everyone regardless, needs to be treated equally.
Another great point made throughout this week’s discussion was that we as American’s are entitled to the right to vote and the right to protest. TJ goes into discussion about how this right isn’t always remembered especially when it comes to voting. Many people, if held by a restriction, were told that they were not allowed to vote unless they passed a literacy/history test. This test was impossible. The questions were difficult and 90% of already registered voters wouldn’t have been able to pass this test. Did they not want ALL American’s to have to equal right to vote? I don’t understand this restriction, I think it was unnecessary. African American’s are still American citizens. They were not granted the right to vote based solely on their skin color which is unfair and completely racist.
The last issue I would like to touch upon is the protests made to give everyone the right to vote. 500 civil rights activists marched from Selma to Montgomery to show that ALL American’s should be given the right to vote. The police were violent and unnecessary, a Boston minister was killed, and many others were injured. The police and local officials thought they were higher than the Constitution. This issue has been taken care of now, we are all given the right to vote as American citizens. Unfortunately though, the fight for civil rights is never over.

Week 2- Person 5

Charissa had some great points about dealing with the prosecution of the Tucson shooting in Arizona weeks ago. She discussed the difference in whether or not citizenship has both moral and legal implications and how they should both be exercised to their fullest. I agree with how she feels on this issue, and couldn’t have said it better myself.

T.J. then went on to discuss mostly Maine’s new Governor Paul LePage and his recent public outburst towards the NAACP. I agree with how T.J. said that Governor LePage crossed a bunch of unmoral, rude, and unnecessary comments towards the NAACP and handled it completely the wrong way. Whether or not you agree with an organization or their goals, as a governor you’re supposed to lead by example and act as a professional among professionals. Achieving the honor of being a public icon, you should have the morals and respect of your people, because when it all boils down to it, we’re all Americans no matter what state you have your residence in.

Stephen focused his thoughts mostly on the shooting in Tucson, Arizona. He provided great input on how he connected the mental illness and lack of respect the suspect had towards the government. I agree with his outlook on this issue to the fullest. We may or may not agree with our government’s policies and such, but there is a proper way to go about having your opinion heard. Shooting innocent victims in an act of pure unpatriotic manners is unethical, impractical, and just down right wrong.

Week 3- Person 5

President Lyndon B. Johnson was a man of true equality and stood behind civil equality one-hundred percent. His “We Shall Overcome” speech on March 15, 1965, was one of deep impact and high importance. Working towards making Americans equal as countrymen rather than dividing by skin color, religion, and other traits is a difficult task which to this day is still being struggled to reach.

President Johnson’s entire speech was full of intellectual and deep thoughts, so it’s hard to choose which is more important because all of his words had an emotional and intriguing thought process. When Johnson stated, “Above the pyramid on the Great Seal of the United States it says in Latin, "God has favored our undertaking." God will not favor everything that we do. It is rather our duty to divine His will. But I cannot help but believe that He truly understands and that He really favors the undertaking that we begin here tonight,” I thought he made a crucial point. In this quote and throughout his entire speech, Johnson speaks of himself and his countrymen as one. Not men and women, not white and black, but as only Americans. This speech of pushing to help reach equality for African Americans really set a tone as to how important it is to stand together as one.

“There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem, and we are met here tonight as Americans--not as Democrats or Republicans; we're met here as Americans to solve that problem. This was the first nation in the history of the world to be founded with a purpose,” was one of Johnson’s strongest points which should not be overlooked. The pursuit of happiness should not be denied to the African Americans, it should be able to be pursued by any and all American.

Week Three Blog- Person 4

On March 15, 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson presented a speech to the United States of America that would be one of the many focal points in the struggle for African-American qualities as citizens of our country. the speech he gave, took place a week after heavy racial tensions led to a violent police attack on peaceful African-American protesters on Selma, Alabama. the group of protesters had no intentions of getting violent, and planned on being led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr to Montgomery, Alabama to register to vote. The brutal attacks on the 500 civil rights activists led to the tragic death of a white Minister, James J. Reeb from Boston, Massachusetts.

The speech following the attacks was extremely brave on the part of President Johnson. He showed unprecedented leadership qualities and spoke on what he believed was best for his country, and what he believed was best for the future. he went against the mindset of many Americans at that time period who believed that racism and segregation seemed like the best way to run the country. he spoke against all of those people , some considered President Johnson one of the many heroes of the civil rights movement but in his speech he stated; "The real hero of this struggle is the American Negro" President Johnson truly wanted to make everything equal for all Americans regardless of race.

He did what a President could to make things equal for African-Americans in the United States by signing the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965 which would no longer allow the unfair tests of literacy and history to take place, which at that time stopped most of the African-American people from voting. Even though the African-Americans gained more voting rights then before, there still lingered a tremendous amount of racial tension. So much so, that on August 11, 1965 the famous Watts Riots in Los Angeles took place, leading to the death of 34 rioters.

"We Shall Overcome" -- Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson’s “We Shall Overcome” speech was made on March 15, 1965, following a group of Americans was attacked by police in Selma, Alabama—they were preparing to march to Montgomery in order to protest the topic of voting rights discrimination: something that was given to all Americans under the US Constitution. Johnson states, “…every American citizen must have an equal right to vote.” In reading this speech, I kept thinking about two common rights that we, as Americans, all possess: the right to vote and the right to protest. We have discussed both of these in the classroom, and I think that President Johnson brought forth discussion of these problems in a proper, well-mannered way—unlike a certain state official may have done, if there was something that he didn’t agree with, within his jurisdiction. I would like to go into discussion about these two fundamental values that he brought forward in his speech, with relation to the discrimination of fellow Americans.

“’There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem.” Johnson couldn’t be more right in stating that it is everyone’s problem, especially when there was an entire group of Americans that were being discriminated against. Imagine going to city hall on your 18^th birthday, excited to be an adult, only to be rejected when trying to register to vote. They told you to fill out your application, but you abbreviated your middle initial, so they said you aren’t registered; or maybe you filled it out entirely, but they decided that you have to take a test that 90% of Americans—already with voting rights—couldn’t pass. Of course you would want to protest, which as an American, you have the right to do….wait, just kidding. Not all Americans could in 1965; they weren’t stopped by law, but instead by racist police officers.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and more than 500 civil rights activists were going to march from Selma to Montgomery, protesting the right to vote for ALL Americans. Not only were the police violent in unlawfully stopping their march, but a minister from Boston was killed, while many others were seriously hurt. All of this happened because the police and local officials forced decided that they were above the law. They thought that they were higher than the Constitution of the United States, and eventually that was taken care of, in front of the entire nation. Now, we can all vote as citizens of the United States; however, we are still fighting the civil rights battle today.